The Culture Club
/It was the summer of 1983.
Just me, my two tone brown Fisher Price cassette player and Boy George.
The Culture Club was my first music crush.
How 'bout you?
Real Estate Blog
Sellers Property Disclosure
/Selling your home doesn’t have to be a gamble. And the sellers property disclosure can keep you out of hot water.
Did you know the number 1 complaint with the division of real estate is non-disclosure by sellers?
What does this mean in plain English. “We bought a house from Mr and Mrs Seller and they never told us about the roof leak, the cracked foundation, the flood in the basement, fill in the blank.”
So how do sellers avoid this unpleasant situation?
There is this handy form we use in real estate called the Sellers Property Disclosure. This form is your opportunity to air all your homes dirty laundry.
Sometimes I have sellers balk at this form, they feel reluctant to fill it out.
But think of this form as your get out of jail free card.
The save your bacon form.
The keep you out of hot water form.
You can’t hide things from the new buyer!
Just picture this. New buyer moves in and who should saunter over, but Karen from across the street.
“Oh welcome to the neighborhood! I was just saying to my husband that I didn’t think anyone would buy this home with the moldy attic and all.”
Your neighbors know everythingAnd if something is wrong with your house the buyers are going to find out eventually.
It’s best to be as thorough and accurate as possible with the disclosure. It will protect you in the long run and keep you out of trouble.
Yes, you might have to make some repairs, but I can promise you it will be a lot cheaper than a lawsuit and attorney fees.
When in doubt, DISCLOSE!
A must have!
/Do you have one of these bad boys installed in your home?
If you don’t, I BEG you to go to the hardware store TODAY and pick one (or two, or three) up.
As a guideline, Colorado law requires carbon monoxide detectors be installed within 15 feet of all bedrooms upon the transfer of property. But even if you are not selling your home it’s imperative that you are protected.
Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless. It steals oxygen from your red blood cells and can steal the life right out of you. You essentially drown without getting wet.
The weather is getting colder and folks are turning on their gas powered heating, so please don’t take a chance.
This is serious stuff. If you read just one of my posts all year, this is the one I want you to really take to heart.
With gratitude.
About Inspections
/I’m going to tell you a little secret: Negotiating inspection items can be a bit tricky.
Shows like Million Dollar Listing have not helped either. I cannot tell you how many times the agent on TV says, “We will just get the seller at inspection”. Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.
The purpose of the inspection is to reveal items that cannot be seen with the naked eye or issues that only a thorough home inspection would find.
In other words, the giant carpet stain you saw during the showing is not something that should end up on your list of inspection requests.
For the best results stick to health and safety issues.
And remember, it doesn’t hurt to ask for the things that are important to you. The seller cannot “ditch” you because you sent over a list of inspection requests. All they can do is say no.
If you have kept your list to major items that “any reasonable buyer” would find objectionable the seller is probably going to agree with you.
One of my biggest roles in a real estate transaction is helping you through this process whether you are the buyer or the seller.
When in doubt, DISCLOSE!
/The sellers property disclosure, your friendly form.
Did you know the number complaint with the division of real estate is non-disclosure by sellers?
What does this mean in plain English. “We bought a house from Mr and Mrs Seller and they never told us about the roof leak, the cracked foundation, the flood in the basement, fill in the blank.”
So how do sellers avoid this unpleasant situation?
There is this handy form we use in real estate called the Sellers Property Disclosure. This form is your opportunity to air all your homes dirty laundry.
Sometimes I have sellers balk at this form, they feel reluctant to fill it out.
But think of this form as your get out of jail free card.
The save your bacon form.
The keep you out of hot water form.
You can’t hide things from the new buyer!
Just picture this. New buyer moves in and who should saunter over, but Karen from across the street.
“Oh welcome to the neighborhood! I was just saying to my husband that I didn’t think anyone would buy this home with the moldy attic and all.”
Your neighbors know everything! And if something is wrong with your house the buyers are going to find out eventually.
It’s best to be as thorough and accurate as possible with the disclosure. It will protect you in the long run and keep you out of trouble.
Yes, you might have to make some repairs, but I can promise you it will be a lot cheaper than a lawsuit and attorney fees.
When in doubt, DISCLOSE!
Pricing Your Home
/The market is feeling a bit bananas lately. And sellers are not sure where to price their home. Here’s a little insight.
You have choices when pricing your home:
Test the market. This strategy works in a rapidly rising market because you are pricing ahead of the market with the hopes that the market will meet or surpass your list price
Price it right. This falls right into the range of what market comparables tell us the home is worth. Not too high, not too low.
Is this sounding a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears?
3. Strategically aggressive price. This is the price range that attracts multiple offers and offers over asking price.
There is no right or wrong answer but as the market continues to evolve strategy is going to be more and more effective. Please leave any questions below.
What's your home's value?
/Let’s do something fun.
I want you to look up your Zestimate.
This is Zillow’s estimate of the value of your home. Just go to the website and type in your address.
Let me know what you think of the value. Too high, too low or just right?
BEST Long Term Wealth Strategy
/We all know the media loves a sensational story and there have been plenty surrounding the real estate market. Lately there has been lots of talk about interest rates and why now is not a good time to buy…
But when we compare what the talking heads SAY is going to happen compared to what has ACTUALLY happened the outcome is very different.
The following example starts with a buyer looking at a home valued at $300,000.
Oct 2015 “Housing today- a bubble larger than 2006” - we saw 5.1% appreciation - home is now worth $315,000
Aug 2016 “We’re in a housing bubble” - we saw 5.4% appreciation - home is now worth $332,000
Nov 2017 “Homeownership doesn’t build wealth, a study finds” - we saw 6.1% appreciation- home is now worth $353,000
Sept 2018 “It’s better to rent than buy in today’s housing market” - we saw 4.1% appreciation - home is now worth $367,000
July 2019 “The housing market is about to shift in a bad way for buyers” - we saw 4.0% appreciation- home is now worth $382,000
Dec 2019 “Next year will be hard on the housing market, especially in big cities” - we saw 16% appreciation in 2020- home is now worth $443,000
July 2021 “Housing boom is over as new home sales fall to pandemic lows” - we saw 18% appreciation - home is now worth $523,000
Had fear consumed this buyer back in 2015 they would’ve lost out on $223,000 of increased value, not to mention the seven years of payments made on the mortgage creating even more equity.
Remember, the interest rate on rent is 100%….
Make your financial decisions based on logic, reason and expert opinions. Don’t make decisions based on fear as you may miss out on big opportunities.
Real estate continues to be rated as one of the BEST long term wealth strategies.
Questions? Leave them in the chat or DM me. You don’t have to do this alone.
Add simplicity to your life
/Here are three things you can do in 15 minutes each to add simplicity and joy to your life.
Clean out your purse or wallet. Get rid of old receipts, gum wrappers and anything you don’t use.
Go through your closet and find all the things you never wear and donate them.
Contact www.catalogchoice.org to remove your name from mailing lists that you no longer wish to receive.
And one more for good measure.
4. Make a list of 10 of your go-to dinner meals and tape it to your fridge.
Do you believe your eyes?
/Long post alert, but worth it.
Do you believe your eyes?
I read this book once about a world where Earth was too hostile to live outdoors so humans lived in underground silos. Imagine a skyscraper that goes underground and only one story is above ground.
The level you lived on had to do with your educational achievements and what job you did to keep the silo running. More prestigious jobs were closer to the surface.
Most of the people went along with this, what other choice did they have?
But one small group started to have questions.
The top level was a type of cafeteria that was all windows. You could see the wind swept and toxic landscape from the safety of the silo.
Every so often someone would have to go outside for a safety mission. They would have to suit up in protective gear with their own air source.
Some of them completed their missions, and others ended in tragedy.
Their bodies still laying waste in the wasteland.
Okay, here’s the spoiler alert. Do not read anymore if you want to read this book
Eventually the main character decides she’s ditching this popcorn stand and steals a protective suit and goes outside.
She can see the bodies laying around her and the hostile landscape but in a moment of shear courage she removes her helmet.
And low and behold, Earth is just as it should be. She finds herself standing in a field of green grass, the wind is lightly blowing and the sun is shining on her face.
In the distance she can see other silos.
It was all a trick.
What she was seeing out of the cafeteria was fake.
What she was seeing out of the helmet was fake, a video overlay.
She runs over the top of a hill and finds a small group of other humans living as humans should.
So back to the original question.
Do you believe your eyes?
Do you believe your ears?
Do you believe what you are told?
Do you believe what you read, watch or listen to?
Just because “someone” says it is so, doesn’t mean it is. Sadly the truth has become much more elusive than that.
When is the best time to sell a house?
/When is the best time of year to sell your house?
Well I am going to let you in on a little secret. After nearly two decades in the business I have discovered the optimal time to sell your home and I am excited to share this valuable information with you
Are you ready? Drum roll.
The best time to sell your house is….. when its right for you!
Yes, I know, revolutionary isn’t it?
All joking aside, there really is no right answer to this question. Your life and needs have their own timeline and cadence and sometimes you do not have the luxury of timing the market just right.
There is one time of year that I DO NOT recommend listing your home. The roughly six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years is notoriously slow and buyers have their focus on other things.
Mud season can also be a little tough. But one benefit is that you might be one only a few available homes as many sellers want to wait until May to list.
Questions? Leave them below or send me a DM.
Thinking about selling your house?
/Hold or Sell.
Should I stay or should I go?
Here are a couple of things to consider if you are thinking about selling your home.
If you’ve bought your home within the past 12 months you might not have enough equity in your home to end up ahead.
If you’ve not lived in your home for at least 2 years you might be subject to prorated capital gains even if it was your primary home.
If you’ve had a significant life change (divorce or death of a loved one) most experts would say not to make any changes to your living situation for at least 6 months if possible.
If the market is trending downward (not the case in today’s market) and you can stay put it might be a good idea to do so.
If none of the above apply to you and your home no longer fits your needs give me a call, I’d love to help.
Overpriced Homes
/BOUNCE HOUSE
: a springy inflatable structure often resembling a four-sided building and used especially by children for jumping for sport.
: a overpriced house that helps sell other homes.
When you overprice your home you are not only hurting yourself but you are driving buyers to your competition.
Over priced homes make correctly priced homes look like a deal. Also you sadly telegraph to buyers that you are not a serious seller and often times you won’t even get showings.
I know I sound like a broken record but pricing is really so important and one of the biggest keys to your success as a seller.
Questions? Leave them below or send me a DM.
Home Inspection Preparations
/Whaaaaa!!!
LENDER REQUIRED REPAIRS!
These three words are NOT what you want to hear when you are buying or selling a home.
So what does this mean you might ask?
Lender required repairs are repairs that must be completed in order for the buyer to get approval for their loan.
It doesn’t matter if the buyer (or seller) care about or want these repairs, they are imposed by the lender.
Common lender required repairs are; peeling paint, broken windows, missing hand rails or anything that falls under health and safety.
As a homeowner what can you do to avoid this situation?
Ask your agent for a do-it-yourself checklist for home inspection preparation. While this is for preparing for a home inspection, it will cover most anything that a lender would be concerned about as well.
Your best offer
/Sometimes your first offer is your best offer.
This is a phrase we hear in real estate and what I have found over 18 years is that often times it’s true.
When I help sellers price their homes I use other homes that have sold to narrow in on pricing.
Buyers are very savvy and with the help of technology they can do their own research to see what other homes like yours have sold for.
If you get an offer on your home right away that means you priced it right.
In this market, if your home has had very few showings and/or no offers you are likely priced too high.
It’s better to get ahead of the market than chase it down with price reductions.
Sellers Property Disclosure
/Did you know the number complaint with the division of real estate is non-disclosure by sellers?
What does this mean in plain English?
“We bought a house from Mr and Mrs Seller and they never told us about the roof leak, the cracked foundation, the flood in the basement, you get the picture”
So how do sellers avoid this unpleasant situation?
There is this handy form we use in real estate called the Sellers Property Disclosure.
This form is your opportunity to air all your homes dirty laundry.
Sometimes I have sellers balk at this form, they feel reluctant to fill it out.
But think of this form as your get out of jail free card.
The save your bacon form.
The keep you out of hot water form.
You can’t hide things from the new buyer of your home.
Just picture this....
The new buyer moves in and who should saunter over, but Karen from across the street. “Oh welcome to the neighborhood! I was just saying to my husband that I didn’t think anyone would buy this home with the moldy attic and all.”
Your neighbors know everything! And if something is wrong with your house the buyers are going to find out eventually.
It’s best to be as thorough and accurate as possible with the disclosure. It will protect you in the long run and keep you out of trouble.
Yes, you might have to make some repairs, but I can promise you it will be a lot cheaper than a lawsuit and attorney fees.
When in doubt, DISCLOSE!
Who I Am Today
/Dear Younger Me.
I was listening to the lyrics of this song the other day and this part hit me pretty hard.
“Dear younger me. I cannot decide. Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life. Or do I go deep? And try to change the choices that YOU made cause they're the choices that made ME.”
Oh, how many times I’ve wished I could go back in time and dish out some really good grown up advice to Younger Me.
“Skip that, don’t miss this, go here, don’t bother with them.” You get the point.
And I think about the bad choices, miss opportunities and failed relationships. Would life have been easier with out all that “hard stuff”?
No doubt.
But every experience, encounter, relationship and decision is a stitch in the tapestry of my life.
The laughs, the tears, the arguments, the reconciliations, the failures and the victories make up the colors and textures. And without even a single one the landscape would change.
So while it sounds nice to save Younger Me from the painful moments, I know they are part of what makes me who I am today.
The good, the bad and the ugly (and the beautiful). It’s perfectly imperfect, this thing we call life.
With gratitude.
The Real Estate
/Your body: the original real estate
And guess what? You don’t get to sell it, trade it, or Airbnb it for passive income.
“If you don’t take care of your body, where will you live?” - Author Unknown
A question disguised as a quote... and a subtle slap from reality.
So drink the water.
Move the limbs.
Eat the greens (even the weird ones).
Lift the weights.
Because granite countertops are nice, but cellular regeneration is the real flex.
This is your forever home—don’t wait for a home inspection to start fixing the roof.
What’s that app on your phone good for?
/That “free estimate” on your phone? It’s costing people thousands. Here’s what I see all the time:
Someone sees a number online. It feels good. They start telling friends, making plans, spending money in their head. Suddenly, it’s not just a number—it’s THEIR number.
But the market? It doesn’t care about your number.
It only cares about:
1. What your neighbor’s house sold for
2. How long competing homes are sitting
3. Where buyers stop shopping
4. What the appraiser will back up
When you ignore all that and chase the shiny online price, here’s what really happens:
Months drag by carrying costs pile up, price reductions chip away at your negotiating power, and by the time you sell, you’ve actually lost far more than if you’d priced right in the first place.
Here’s the irony: pricing with the market often makes you more. Well-priced homes create competition AND competition drives offers up.
And instead of waiting 120 days, you’re packing boxes in 30.
So what’s that app on your phone good for?
Dreaming. Browsing. Kitchen-envy.
What it’s not good for? Setting the value of your largest asset.
The difference between an algorithm and an agent?
An algorithm feeds your screen time.
An agent gets you to the closing table.
Sometimes the truth hurts
/You’ve all seen it.
American Idol auditions gone bad.
They are cringe-worth at best. I find myself squirming in my seat, its perplexing, strangely fascinating and downright sad.
The worst part is when the families greet the crestfallen contestant with soothing words of comfort. “Oh, sweetie, those judges don’t know a thing. You are the best signer in the world!”
This is the part that drives me insane!
Why lie to these poor people? They are terrible singers and NEVER should have auditioned for the show.
Telling someone the cold hard truth is sometimes very hard. You don’t want to hurt their feelings, crush their dreams or seem insensitive.
But your honesty is sometimes the most important thing they need to hear.
A couple of years ago I met with a very nice family who wanted to sell their home and move out of state. The winters were getting tough for them and they were having some health issues.
Selling was a must.
I met them at their house and noticed right away this was going to be a tough property. There was stuff everywhere, inside and out. The house was dirty, dark, and falling apart.
They gave me the grand tour and we sat down to talk. I asked them about their goals and timeline for selling their home. They needed to be out of here by September which only gave us 3 months to sell. They were short on time, money and resources to get their home ready for market.
They looked at me with hope in their eyes and asked what was next.
This was the moment for the cold hard truth.
When I first started in real estate I probably would have tried to gloss things over and ease the blow. “No, its not that bad, buyers can look past your stuff.”
Now I know better.
People hire me for my professional and honest advice. This family had a tight timeframe and a pressing need to leave the area.
So I told them the truth.
That no one would buy their home in its current condition. And because we were dealing with a very tight timeframe they were going to need to price their home much below market value to get it sold quickly.
I said all of these things with tenderness and grace, because I very much care about how my words make people feel.
At the end of our meeting they thanked me for my encouraging words.
What?
I didn’t think I sounded encouraging at all, but then I recognized it was the honesty and a thoughtful game plan that gave them feelings of encouragement.
Sometimes the truth hurts, but I believe if you really care for someone you owe them the truth and nothing but.
Watch how Carrie’s local expertise can help you find the perfect Kremmling home!